Vending-machine



F. J. GERHARD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1918. 7

1,305,795. Patented June 3,1919.

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" ATTORNEY F. 1. GERRARD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19, 19m.

1305,7956 Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES WW 1// I I I i BY 1 ATTORNEY proper,

FREDERICK J'. GERRARD, OF MONROE, NEBRASKA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed March 19, 1918. Serial No. 223,417.

To all "whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. GER- RARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Vending-Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a fluid delivery vending mach ne; and the ob ect of the same is'to produce a coin-in-the-slot controlled mechanism for delivering a charge of liquid and in which the mechanism possesses certain checks or safeguards against its fraudulent use. 7

Details are set forth in the following specification and shown in the drawings, wherein 2-- Figure l is a perspective'view of this device from the outside,

Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the mechanism with the face-plate of the casing re moved,

F igs; 3 and 4 are vertical sections on the lines 3 3 and 4.4 of Fig. 2, with the parts in different positions. V V

' The casing 1 may be of any appropriate shape, one practicable configuration being shown in Fig. 1 wherein 2 is the coin inlet, 3 is a tank superposed on the casing t is the'main handle moving in a slot 5 which is arcuate so that the main lever 6 may move around its center 7, and 8 is 7 the coin drawer. Let us assume that nickels are to be deposited in the inlet 2, and the intention is that a charge of any suitable liquid-say milk from'thc' tankB is to be delivered out the nozzle 9 for each nickel; the purpose of the apparatus will be to present such a mechanism that when the operator moves the main handle downward in' the slot '5, a measured charge of milk will run out into his cup or mug which he holds beneath the nozzle. This is, of course, only an illustration for purposes of description.

The main lever 6 carries a rigid arm 10 having a slot 11 which normally underlies the coin chute 12; and pivoted. at 13 is a lever 14 whose heavier rear end rests nor-- mally on a stop 15, and whose forward portion has a. pocket 16 standing normally be ncath the slot 11, a slight hump 17 at the front side of the pocket and a slot through the lever in front of the hump. This slot numbered 18 is best seen in Fig. 4, and stands over a runway 19 which leads to the drawer. When now a coin is inserted at 2, it travels down the chute '12, through the slot 11 in the arm 10, and comes to rest within-the pocket 16 of the lever 14, being at this time so near the pivot 13 that the lever is not thrown out of its normal position. Thereafter when the arm 10 is moved forward, the rear end of its slot 11 causes the coin to travel over the hump 17 which tilts the lever to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the coin runs over the hump, falls through the slot 18, travels down 7 the runway 19, and reaches the drawer 8.

The arm has a ratchet tooth 20 on its underside, and to the main lever 6 at a proper point 21 is pivoted a wing 22 which is of such size and disposition that when it swings in one direction it underlies the tooth, whereas when it swings in the otherdirection as seen in Fig. 4 in dotted lines it is quite remote from the arm 10. Fast on the inner face of the wall casing are two catches, each'composed of a bolt having a beveled tip and mounted in a housing of its own, and normally projected by means of a spring as best seen in Fig. 3. The upper catch is numbered 23 and the lower catch 24, and the tips of both stand in the path. of movement of the tooth 20 as the main lever is moved forward or downward. Starting with the full-lined position in Fig. 3 when the wing hangs vertical, as the lever is moved forward and downward, the

wing automatically interposes itself between the tooth and the catches, and the former moves idly over the latter. Starting with the full lined position in Fig. 4, as the lever moves upward, the wing hangs away from the tooth and the latter moves over the tips of the catches which recede as their springs permit. Therefore the function of these catches is to prevent a retrograde movement of the lever when it is being returned to its normal or starting position, and this function possesses an advantage when employed in connection with a liquid vendin mechanism as will be explained below. owever, the construction is such that there is no interruption to the forward movement of the lever, and none to its rear ward movement providing that during such rearward movement the operator does not attempt to move the lever forwardly a little and fraudulently obtain something for which he has not paid. In connection with the safety devices above described, I make useof the vending mechanism next to be described, although it is quite obvious that said safety devices could be used to admin tage in other places and I do not therefore wish to be limited thereto.- From the tank 3 a pipe 30 leads downward to an inlet valve 31, thence to a charge-receiving receptacle 32, thence to an outlet valve 33, and finally to the nozzle 9 and the stems of said valves are respectively provided with fingers 3a and 35 disposed on opposite sides of a rib 36 carried at one side of the main lever 6. Springs 37 turn the valves normally in a direction to open the uppermost and close the foremost. Such is the preferred construction when it is a liquid which is to be vended, but 7 of course this construction might have to be 1nodified slightly if the machine were employed in connection with another commodity. The receptacle 32 will be of such size as to measure the charge of liquid to be delivered, and obviously it could be replaced by another receptacle if a larger or smaller charge were to be handled. Other details of construction will not be necessary of explanation herein, and the proportions andmatcrials of parts are immaterial.

With the parts standing as seen in full lines in Fig. 3, the insertion of a coin has no effect until the main lever is moved far enough forward to cause the arm to move this coin over the hump 17 in the rock lever 14. The forward end of this lever has a ,1 hook 20 standing normally in the path of the tooth 20 on the arm 10, but slightly spaced therefrom as best seen in Fig. 3 so that there is a certain lost motion to permit the forward movement of the main lever.

Whenthe latter occurs and the coin drops through the runway into the drawer as above described, the hook is moved out of the path of the tooth and the lever is free. Further forward movement carries'the parts to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, when the wing 22 travels over first the upper catch 23 and then the lower cat-ch 24. Meanwhile the rib 36 passes out from under the upper finger 3i, and the spring 37 turns the inlet valve 31 to closed position; and then the rib 36 engages the lower finger 35, and turns the outlet valve 33 open, so that the charge which has meanwhile run into the receptacle 32, is allowed to flow out the nozzle 9 into the cup. The operator now holds the main lever at the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and when he releases it or when he moves it upward it passes to the position shown in dotted lines in the same view. If we assume that he should try fraudulently to obtain more liquid from the nozzle, he will of course move the lever upward and then seek to move it backward; but it is obvious that each time the tooth 20 passes over a catch, the latter engages it and prevents a retrograde movement of the lever. The catches are so disposed that Copies of this patent may be obtained for when the tooth passes the first or lower catch 24, the lower valve has been completely closed, and now both valves are closed. When the tooth passes the upper catch 23, the inlet valve 31 has been partly opened and the receptacle is beginning'to refill. Finally when he releases the handle a, a main spring 6 restores the lever 6 to normal position and the tooth 20 is engaged by the hook 20 on the rock lever so that it is impossible for the operator to move the main lever at all without inserting another coin. Thus the safety mechanism shown herein affords no interruption to the quick downward movement of the lever, nor to its proper return, and the customer who uses the apparatus as per instructions would hardly believe that there were any safety catches within it. r

' WVhat is claimed as new is z 1. In a machine ofthe type described, the combination with a pivoted main lever standing normally upright and having a rib on one side, and checrcreleased mechanism for locking it in this position; of rocking elements at opposite sides of said lever, fingers thereon between which said rib moves,

and a spring bearing the upper finger nor-' mally downward and'the lower finger normally upward. 7 1

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with, a pivoted main lever standing normally upright and having a. rib on one side, and check-released mechanism for looking it in this position; of a pipe having a receptacle standing opposite said lever, inlet and outlet valves in said pipe respectively above and below said receptacle, fingers on the valve-stems respectively above and below said rib and in line therewith,

and means moving said fingers normally in a direction to close both valves.

3. In a machine of the class describedythe combination with a pivoted main lever standing normally upright and having a rib on one side, and check-released mechanism for looking it in this position; of a pipe hav ing a receptacle standing opposite said lever, inlet and outlet valves in said pipe respectively above and below said receptacle, fingers on the valve-stems respectively above and below said rib and in line therewith, a strong main spring holding said main lever normally raised, and other springs turning the valve-stems in a direction to throw their fingers normally toward said rib, the whole for use substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. C. 

